News

On Thursday, March 22nd, the Staff Council held the annual Staff Service & Awards of Excellence Ceremonyat the Nessmith-Lane Center. Not only were many Auxiliary Services employees recognized for their years of service, 6 of the 33 staff members nominated for the Award of Merit were Auxiliary employees.

The following Auxiliary employees were nominated for the Award of Merit:

Kristi Bryant: Parking & Transportation

Ronda Durden: Residential & Auxiliary Facilities

Bud Fleming: Eagle Dining Services

Cameron Jones: Residential & Auxiliary Facilities

Sharon Simon: Residential & Auxiliary Facilities

Sherry Keeby: Residential & Auxiliary Facilities

Please congratulate the following employees on receiving the Award of Excellence:

Kristi Bryant: Parking & Transportation

Thank you for being outstanding representatives of Auxiliary Services!

Auxiliary Services would also like to congratulate the following individuals who were recognized for their years of service at the Georgia Southern University 2018 Staff Awards of Excellence Ceremony. This list represents a combined 405 years of service to Georgia Southern University!

Kristi Bryant, the Director of Parking and Transportation, was awarded Parking Professional of the Year at the 2017 annual Parking Association of Georgia conference.

Kristi Bryant, Director of Parking and Transportation, a department of Auxiliary Services, was awarded Parking Professional of the Year for 2017 this past April at the annual Parking Association of Georgia conference held in the Atlanta area. The award is given based on the individual’s customer service skills and expertise in their position above and beyond their job duties. Ms. Bryant was also just named the Chairman of Membership Committee with the Parking Association of Georgia.

Ms. Bryant is a 2001 graduate of Georgia Southern with a Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies. She began working in the Parking and Transportation department in July 2000 as a part-time Enforcement Officer. In March 2003, she was hired on full-time as a Parking Services Monitor and moved up to Enforcement Supervisor in 2008. In July 2011, she was named Director of Parking and Transportation.

“Being able to help the Georgia Southern community and give back to the school I’m very proud to call my alma mater of is what drives me in my position everyday” said Bryant, “I like being able to interact with our community and give the best customer service from my staff and myself.”

Ms. Bryant was recognized for her award because of the customer service components she included in the ongoing Lot 21 improvement project and the lot management software she helped bring to fruition that will now make Georgia Southern a decal-free campus.

Each year the Department of Literature and Philosophy offers four awards for student writing, one of which is awarded for “The Best Essay In Literature” and is an award for the best essay submitted by an English major. This year’s “Best Essay In Literature” was awarded to University Residential and Auxiliary Facilities student employee Thomas Casteel. His paper was chosen by a committee composed of faculty from the Department of Literature and Philosophy who were very impressed with his writing.

Mr. Casteel will be recognized at two academic events. First is the Honors Day Convocation, a university event that is held each spring on the first Wednesday in April. The Honors Day Convocation highlights outstanding students from all disciplines and areas of college life. The second is the graduation and awards dinner that Department of Literature and Philosophy hosts annually.

Other writing awards offered by the Department of Literature and Philosophy are as follows:

THE BEST ESSAY IN ENGLISH GRADUATE STUDIES
An award for the best essay submitted by an English M.A. student

THE BEST ESSAY IN PHILOSOPHY
An award for the best essay submitted by a Philosophy major

THE BEST ESSAY IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES
An award for the best essay submitted by a Religious Studies minor

Over Spring Break, representatives from Eagle Dining Services attended the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) Southern Regional Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Southern region of NACUFS has members in schools all over the south. From North Carolina down to Florida, and as far west as New Mexico and Texas.

Bone-In-Stuffed Pork Chop with a Bourbon and Apple Compote

The NACUFS Southern Region held their annual Culinary Challenge on Thursday, March 16 at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Six chefs from across the Southern Region displayed their skills and competed for medals by creating four portions of a delicious, original hot entree, side dishes and sauces in 60 minutes. Competing in this event is tough and chefs are strictly graded on their technique as well as their dishes. It is not unheard of to have six chefs compete and no one receive a medal. This year, Chef Clay Culpepper, the Executive Chef of Lakeside Dining Commons, represented Eagle Dining Services and Georgia Southern University. He brought home the Bronze Medal with his Bone-In-Stuffed Pork Chop with a Bourbon and Apple Compote over Sauteed Collard Greens and a Sweet Potato Hash.

“Competing in the NACUFS Culinary Challenge was an incredibly rewarding and humbling experience. Only six out of thirty-seven entrants from all over the Southern United States were selected to compete, and to walk away with an ACF medal is certainly one of the highlights of my career,” said Chef Culpepper of the experience.

Competitors have a total of 80 minutes to complete their dishes. This is divided into four sections: five minutes to set their station, 60 minutes to cook, ten minutes for plating, and five minutes to clean and exit their station. The entree had to feature the protein of bone-in pork loin, as well as side dishes and sauces to create a nutritionally balanced plate. Volunteers are allowed to assist each competitor in cleaning and delivering plates to the judges, otherwise no other assistance is allowed.

In addition to Chef Culpepper’s win at the Culinary Challenge, Dining Commons Assistant Manager Emily Arrington was elected the Southern Regional Director-Elect. Mrs. Arrington has served as the Marketing Committee Member before being elected into this position, as well as participating in all of NACUFS educational institutes. In her new position, Mrs. Arrington is preparing to become the Southern Regional Director, by supporting the current Southern Regional Director in their duties and performing them if necessary in their absence.

Jeff Yawn, Executive Director of Eagle Dining Services, also attended the conference. He sat on a panel of his peers and food service industry members answering questions and sharing his experiences around how to succeed in NACUFS. Mr. Yawn has served as the NACUFS Southern Conference Region Treasurer for the last four years and was recently nominated for the National NACUFS Treasurer position. He is looking forward to the opportunity to serve on the NACUFS Board of Trustee.

Each NACUFS region is led by a regional council, whose members develop programming and member services within their region. Nationally, NACUFS is governed by a volunteer board of trustees composed of fourteen voting members—the board’s four officers: Immediate Past President, President, President-Elect, Treasurer; and eight At-Large Trustees, the Industry Trustee, the Guest Trustee and the CEO, who shall serve as a non-voting, ex-officio member.

University Housing and Auxiliary Facilities has been injury free for the last 100 days and counting. This goal was set previously by the Director of University Housing and Auxiliary Facilities Mike Head and his team. University Housing and Auxiliary Facilities’ Safety Committee has worked diligently, with the help of the whole staff, to ensure that safety is first on everyone’s minds. They have achieved this awesome goal by looking out for one another, following their operating procedures, making sure to wear proper safety equipment, checking their Safety Data Sheets, and ensuring their equipment is in the best working order on all shifts. And all while maintaining a very fast paced work environment while preparing for this year’s summer renovations and cleaning efforts.

Currently, University Housing and Auxiliary Facilities has over 214 employees, working on eight separate operational shifts, seven days a week. This includes holidays and campus closings. To go 100 days without a work related injury is a huge accomplishment. Director Mike Head and his senior staff will be planning a celebration with their staff soon.

Congratulations to all Facilities staff members for this outstanding achievement and a job well done!